Of Futures and Pasts
by kelly4
Summary: Lois returns, with avoidance on her mind. Clark? Has a different idea. *Contains spoilers for season 8*
1. Chapter 1

Three days, four hours, and 36 minutes.

That's how long it'd been since Lois Lane returned to her desk at the Daily Planet.

And she'd managed to avoid _him_ for all but about 20 minutes of that time.

Which, she was pretty proud of herself. Because it took some doing. He sat at the desk across from hers, for crying out loud. Not to mention, he tended to hover when he thought something was wrong. And she could tell he thought something was wrong.

Thankfully, Tess was just as happy to have her out of the office as Lois was happy to be out of it, so she accommodated Lois' enthusiasm for assignments any hour of the day or night, at any location within a 30 mile radius of Metropolis.

That's not to say she wasn't civil to him. Friendly, even.

She'd teased him, in the past, about his "fortress of solitude". The loft that was his 'grown man's clubhouse', as she'd often called it. Where he would hide himself away, no doubt moping over Lana, and shut out the rest of the world.

Over the past few weeks, since Chloe's debacle of a wedding, though? She'd come to appreciate such a place. A place where a person could tuck herself away, where she could deal with the pain. A place no one could get into. Especially _him_.

Only her fortress, it wasn't exactly a place. It was the wall she had quickly rebuilt around her heart after seeing the look on his face when Lana Lang had wandered into the barn that day.

In one second things had changed. The future she'd finally come to admit she wanted to explore seemed to be hers for the taking, only to be ripped out from under her by a most unwelcome blast from the past.

And let's not forget the killing machine that had crashed the wedding. Winding up in an army hospital while her father kept watch hadn't exactly been her plan.

But the physical pain, that had passed. Sure, she still had a few aches, some bruises here and there. But they lessened each day.

The emotional pain? That just seemed to grow by the second. But she was Lois Lane, and she had a job to return to, a job she loved. So the wall that had gone back up that fateful day, that kept her focused. It kept her pain in, and it kept _him_ out, while she tried to return to some sense of normalcy.

Essentially, she was hiding in plain sight. Pretending that nothing had changed as she tried to catch up on all she'd missed recovering from her injuries.

Burying her heartache in her job. How ironic that the advice she'd doled out to him in the all too recent past had come back to haunt her. To drive her.

The few times she'd been in the same room with him, she'd noticed the looks he was sending her. Confused. Concerned. Seeming to notice something was 'off' with her.

And he'd tried to talk to her. She'd lost count of the voicemail messages he'd left.

But she'd played them off. Her phone wasn't charged. Or it was off. Or she was too busy catching up, because damn that Tess was a slave driver, and sure, she'd catch up with him later.

Which, of course, she never did. There was always another assignment, or that meeting with a source she'd forgotten about. But soon, she'd promised him, soon they'd get together and catch up.

Indefinite enough so that he couldn't hold her to anything. She had zero desire to hear all about the wonders of Lana again, how fabulous his life was now that she'd returned and they'd reunited, and all was right with the world once more.

God, even her pain medication hadn't made her as nauseous as the thought of those words passing Clark's lips.

Of course, the fact that she'd avoided that conversation thus far didn't mean she didn't have to see Little Miss Perfect perching on the edge of his desk – and didn't she _know _that was _her_ spot? – or bringing him coffee, all with that dazzling smile of hers.

That was usually Lois' cue to leave, if she happened to be in the vicinity. And just her luck, the few moments she'd actually been around him in the few days she'd been back, Lana had just happened to show up.

It had taken all her strength not to snap at him that he might want to hide all video cameras if he was entering into _that_ relationship again.

But she hadn't. She wouldn't give him, or Lana, the satisfaction. She wouldn't let him know that he'd gotten to her. The wedding? The dance? The staring into each other's eyes as he'd pulled her closer? The uncharacteristically blissful sigh she'd allowed to escape her lips as she'd leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling his arms wrap more tightly around her?

Well, what is it they say? Weddings do funny things to people.

She wouldn't let him know that feeling his arms drop away from her, then turning around and seeing Lana, and then looking back at his face, had shattered her heart. Had caused her more pain than any monster did that day.

Three days, four hours, and now 41 minutes.

And she wondered if it would ever get any easier.

* * *

Three days, four hours, and 42 minutes.

He remembered the minute he'd walked in that morning, he'd heard it. The whispers that she was back, only four short weeks after nearly having been killed.

Short weeks? Clark had quickly revised that thought in his head. Those weeks were long. Excruciatingly so. Sure, he had been busy, trying to uncover who was behind the shooting of his friend, trying to help out Lana and Chloe.

But his thoughts, they never strayed very far from her. When Chloe had been divested of Brainiac, finally, the first instinct he'd had was to call Lois. Even knowing he couldn't fully explain it to her, but just to let her know her cousin was alright.

He couldn't, though. She'd been hurt so badly at the wedding, a guilt he still carried with him every minute of the day. Her father had come soon after, the hospital having contacted him, to have her transferred to the hospital on the base he was currently stationed at as soon as she was stable enough, and Clark understood that, even though he wanted no part of her being so far away.

The General had heard from him, though, as he called several times a day to check up on her condition. And the minute he'd heard that she was making progress, the calls to her cellphone began. Not that she'd picked up. But he'd left messages anyway. Telling her how quiet it was without her around, and that it was starting to get to him. Assuring her he'd look out for Chloe in her absence.

Telling her how sorry he was that he hadn't been able to save her. And that she had to get better soon, because, well, things just weren't the same without her.

She hadn't called him back. Not that he'd expected it, she was recovering after all. But, still, there was a pang of disappointment when his phone would ring and the number displayed on the screen belonged to someone else.

Someone not her.

So when he'd walked in that day and heard she was back? He'd had to keep himself from superspeeding to their desks to see her.

As it turned out, it wouldn't have mattered if he had, since she wasn't there. Off meeting with Tess, getting her new orders while being filled in on what had transpired in her absence. At the Daily Planet anyway.

So he'd waited, putting off some of the copying that was beginning to pile up, because he wanted to see her walk in, wanted to see with his own eyes that she was okay, back to being Lois.

_His_ Lois.

He wasn't entirely sure when that had even happened, when he'd started to think of her that way. Sure, he'd always been a little overprotective of her, especially when it came to her choices in dates. Not to mention, he'd have to be blind not to see how gorgeous she was. And, they'd always had a connection, different from one he'd had with anyone else. One that he couldn't necessarily explain, but one that he knew he'd come to depend on having in his life.

But before everything had happened that day, there'd been something. Something _more_. He hadn't let himself fully admit that until the day of Chloe's wedding, but when he finally did, he realized that it was something that had been there for a long time. Hidden, buried, bubbling under the surface, but _there_. And he'd been sure she'd felt it too.

Of course, then all hell had broken loose in the form of a psychotic monster on a killing spree and well…the return of his ex-girlfriend.

Speaking of Lana and her _impeccable_ timing.

He'd sat at his desk that morning, waiting for Lois to return from her meeting with Tess, when Lana showed up, bag in hand filled with a blueberry muffin and coffee. A friendly gesture, because that's what they were, with no hard feelings between them, and nothing but best wishes for the other.

So she'd handed him the bag with a smile, a smile he returned in thanks.

Naturally, that was the moment Lois returned from her meeting with Tess. He'd looked past Lana and had seen her, standing in the entrance to the bullpen. The smile that had begun to form on his face upon seeing her froze when he could swear he saw pain flash in her eyes, as she took in the scene before her.

But as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, with a brief shake of her head.

Purposefully walking to her desk, she'd muttered brief hellos to him and Lana, barely making eye contact with either of them, before she'd grabbed her coat and notebook, mumbling something about a mayoral press conference, and practically rushing back through the entrance she'd entered moments before.

And just like that, she was gone again.

In the ensuing hours that had turned into three long days, their interactions had been much the same. He'd tried to catch her, but it seemed as soon as he'd entered the room, she'd be rushing out on assignment. She'd told him her phone was off, or not charged, which was why anytime he'd called her, it went to voicemail.

He'd told her he wanted to talk to her, and, while looking down, writing something on her notepad, she'd promised they would talk. Soon. But she was so busy catching up on all she'd missed, there just wasn't time right now.

But soon, she'd said. Soon. Not exactly specific.

And while she'd always accused him of being a little slow on the uptake, he wasn't slow on this.

Lois Lane was avoiding him.

And it hurt. Because he wasn't entirely sure why.

Three days, four hours, and now 45 minutes.

And he wondered when Lois' silence had become as painful to him as kryptonite.


	2. Chapter 2

She couldn't decide if they were the two most stubborn people on the planet, or the two most oblivious.

Perhaps, it was a combination of both.

Of course, it shouldn't surprise her. She still remembered the first time she'd seen them together. It was unmistakable, the spark they had. At the time, it had twisted her heart, a heart that had still held a torch for Clark Kent.

Later on, on that long ago day, she had asked him about it, in the caves. A small smile played upon her lips as she remembered his blustering response to her assumption that he had moved on with the brash and loud girl she'd seen him with earlier.

"_Lois? She's bossy, she's stuck up, she's rude. I can't stand her!"_

"_The best ones always start that way."_

It had struck her, in that moment down in the caves, that Clark hadn't denied her statement.

She'd known it, deep down, from that moment on. While Clark may have been hers again after that day, she knew, buried in her heart, that it would be temporary.

He had a connection with Lois that he didn't have with anyone else. He smiled with her, he laughed with her, and he _argued_ with her. Which, on the surface, might be an odd thing to place importance on, but knowing Clark as Lana did, she had always felt a tad envious that Lois brought out that side of Clark. This confident side he had, where he wasn't afraid to speak his mind, to fight back, where, while the polite farmboy still lingered – as it always would, his parents' upbringing of him would never disappear completely, - the more self-assured man put in an appearance.

But what had always struck Lana about Lois and Clark was that, for all of Lois' investigative juices, she never once badgered Clark about the mysterious things that seemed to occur around him.

And maybe that was why Clark always seemed more, well, relaxed around her. And she, him for that matter. For all of their bantering, Clark somehow managed to soften Lois' edges a bit, which sort of amazed Lana. She would never claim to know Lois as well as she knew Clark, so if she picked up on that aspect of their relationship, she could only imagine how it looked to those who knew her better.

When Oliver had found her in Cuba and offered his assistance in getting her out from under the Luthor thumb, even with Lex missing, she'd taken him up on his offer. After he'd mentioned Chloe's wedding, she thought surprising one of her best friends would be fun, and it would give her a chance to wish Chloe and Jimmy the best.

Of course, it would also give her the chance to see Clark.

Oliver had been very vague about Clark, and Lana had the feeling that he was being evasive on purpose, though maybe he just didn't want to get dragged into the middle of it all, which she could respect.

So, as she'd sat on the Queen Industries jet, she'd thought about what would happen when she saw him. She tried to come up with the words to say to him, to apologize, to explain. She knew he would listen, because he was Clark, and that's what he did. After that, though, she wasn't sure to expect. And if she was to be honest with herself, she wasn't sure what she wanted to happen.

They had landed in Metropolis on the day of the wedding. Knowing she wouldn't make it for the ceremony anyway, Lana had quickly gotten herself a presentable dress and Oliver arranged for a car to take them both to Smallville for the reception.

Once they had gotten there, he had walked into the barn ahead of her. She'd needed a moment to compose herself, to get the conflicting emotions she was feeling under control.

It occurred to her, after she walked in and was stopped dead in her tracks at the sight in front of her, that no amount of composing herself would have prepared her.

The oddest feeling had come over her as she watched them. Surprise, certainly, but it was mixed with a sense of calm. The calmness that comes when something you've been expecting for years finally comes to fruition in front of your eyes.

It was more than the way they held each other, as close as that was. It was more than the way their eyes held the other's gaze so intensely. It was more than the intimate gesture of her putting her head gently on his shoulder, while he instinctively seemed to pull her tighter to him, closing his eyes and leaning his cheek against her hair.

It was all of that, combined, in one perfect moment.

She was awestruck, watching them. There was a voice in her head, telling her to turn around and get out of there, to not break their spell.

But her body held to its spot, watching them. The part of her that had felt a flare of jealousy not letting her walk away.

Then his eyes had fluttered open, seeming to feel the woman in his arms shift slightly against him.

And that's when he saw her, still standing by the entrance to the barn. His arms had dropped almost immediately, and she saw Lois' head snap up and whip around, spotting her as well.

As she opened the heavy door leading into the Daily Planet, she sighed. Looking back, having some distance from that day, well, she couldn't say the distance had made her feel much better. She still felt terrible. She had broken their spell. And a month later, it was still broken.

Guilt was eating away at Clark, feeling that leaving Lois to talk to Lana had left her vulnerable to the attack that had almost killed her. And she knew that he had been actively trying to get some face time with Lois in the four days now that she'd been back in Metropolis, but Lois had evaded him at pretty much every turn.

She could tell Lois was avoiding him, but what she wasn't sure of was why. Lana knew Lois well enough to know that Lois would never place the blame on Clark for her being injured.

And while she knew that she had played a part in the tension between them that day when she had put in her appearance, she also thought it was pretty clear at this point that she and Clark were nothing more than friends. Not to mention, she knew about the multitude of voicemails Clark had left for Lois, and Lana was sure he'd used those messages to clear up any possible misconceptions stemming from the day of the wedding and anything she'd heard about in her absence.

As she headed into the bullpen, she stopped for a moment, taking in the scene in front of her. Lois' desk was empty, as usual it seemed. Her eyes then focused on Clark, who was scribbling something on a yellow pad. She watched as he stopped, his eyes lifting to the vacant desk across from his, and watched as he seemed to deflate a little at the sight.

Finally walking in, she headed over to his desk, leaning against the edge.

"Hey."

He seemed surprised to hear her voice for a moment, then recovered.

"Hey Lana. You just get here?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't happen to see Lois out there, did you?"

"No, why, hasn't she been in yet?"

Clark just shakes his head. "Not that I'd know if she had been," he says glumly.

"Look, I'm sure as soon as she gets back on track with work and things settle down, you two will reconnect."

Clark half-heartedly smiles in response, but Lana can tell he doesn't quite buy her platitude.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I wanted to tell you what time I'm leaving. Remember, you promised to drive me to the airstrip?"

"Right, yeah….so what time?"

"Oliver's due back early this afternoon, and he said that they just need a few hours to refuel and stuff, so probably around 6, if that's okay."

"No problem. Where are you headed?"

"Someplace with a lot of palm trees," Lana responded, with a smile. "Chloe gushed so much about Hawaii when she and Jimmy got back, I'm thinking I'll start there, and enjoy the freedom of being done with all things Luthor."

"Well, you deserve to enjoy that," Clark said, gently squeezing her hand.

"Thanks."

They sat in silence for a moment, both aware of the good place they'd managed to come to. Saying goodbye this time would be mutual, with nothing but wishes for a happy future for the other.

Lana noticed, after a moment, that Clark's eyes had drifted to the entrance of the bullpen, and widened at the sight in front of him. He jumped up suddenly, and Lana turned, not really needing to, because only one person got that reaction out of Clark.

"Hey Lois," he said, watching her stride purposefully toward her desk.

"Hey, Clark. Lana," she mumbled, her eyes trained on the keyboard she'd leaned down slightly to type on.

"How are you feeling, Lois?" Lana inquired.

"Fine, thanks," the reporter responded shortly.

Clearing his throat, Clark took another step toward her. "So, Lois, I was thinking maybe we could…"

He's cut off though, as Lois struck her keyboard one last time before whirling and heading out of the bullpen.

"No time, Clark. I gotta meet a source," she said quickly.

Lana watched as Clark's face fell at Lois' quick dismissal. As she turned to look in the direction Lois had begun to walk away, she was surprised to notice that Lois had stopped dead in her tracks. Her back still to them, Lana watched as her shoulders seemed to set themselves back in determination, before she finally turned back to them.

"So," Lois began, her eyes focused on a point in the room near them, but not looking directly at them, "I realized before that since I'd been back, I hadn't congratulated the two of you on, well, you know, getting back together. So," she continued, seemingly forcing herself to look directly into Clark's stunned eyes, "Congratulations," she finished, her voice slightly strained with the emotion she was struggling to keep out of her face. With that, she quickly whirled back around and rushed out of the bullpen.

Leaving Lana in open-mouthed shock.

_Why_ would she think that?

She certainly didn't think she'd given off the impression that she and Clark were together. And surely, Clark had used at least some of the many voicemail messages he'd left Lois to explain the conclusions they'd come to. Or how Clark had broken it gently to her that he'd moved on, and that he'd realized that the feelings he had for Lois were far from platonic.

Right?

Slowly turning, she was met with a Clark seemingly frozen in stunned disbelief, his eyes still focused on the spot where Lois had been standing. After about a minute, his eyes finally drifted to Lana, confusion rampant on his face.

"_What_ did she just say?"

Lana closed her eyes slowly, having a sickening feeling that the assumptions she'd been making on what exactly Clark had filled Lois in on were completely and utterly wrong.

"Clark, you _did_ tell her that you and I came to an understanding, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

Frustrated, Lana rolled her eyes.

"Clark?"

"She hasn't exactly been eager to say more than two words to me, Lana."

"You left her a hundred voicemails in the past month, Clark! Please tell me at least one of those included the fact you and I are nothing more than friends?"

Clark shrugs, still looking utterly baffled. "Why would I? Lois knows we're friends."

"Clearly, she thinks we're _more_ than that judging from her little speech just now."

"But…why would she think that? I mean, at the wedding, she and I…we…we were getting closer," he stutters out, his eyes still clouded with bewilderment.

Exhaling loudly, Lana walks over to him, wishing for a moment he wasn't invulnerable because she would love nothing more than to smack him upside the head without the threat of breaking her hand.

"Clark Kent? You are a complete and total idiot."


	3. Chapter 3

"Why am I an idiot?"

Clark stood, still perplexed, staring at the petite brunette in front of him.

"Clark! You had to know what Lois would think after I showed up at the wedding."

"You act like I just ditched her in the middle of the dance floor and ran off with you," he muttered.

"Well, you did walk off in the middle of your dance with her…"

"It wasn't like that," he quickly interrupted.

"Okay, then explain it to me."

Frustrated, Clark ran a hand through his hair as he sighed loudly.

"When she saw you standing there, she told me to go talk to you. I was kind of out of it for a moment, I was pretty shocked to see you and all. So she said it again, that I should go talk to you. So I did, but before I headed over to you I told Lois I would catch up with her later."

"But you never got to, because of the attack."

"The next time I saw her, I was trying to get her out from under all that rubble," he said quietly, a shudder running noticeably through him at the memory.

"And she was unconscious."

He nodded briefly, momentarily overwhelmed by the picture that had rarely left his mind over the past month. Lois Lane was many things, including one of the strongest people he knew, but when he had cleared away that debris and seen her so…broken, he'd found it near impossible to breathe.

Which was why it had been so important to him to see her walk into the bullpen on her first day back. That visual, interspersed with images her lying in a hospital bed attached to various machines the day or so she'd been at Smallville Medical Center, had plagued him the weeks she'd been recovering.

"I kept waiting for her to open her eyes," he said softly. His face took on a far off look as he remembered the hours spent at the hospital, sitting by her bedside and gently holding her hand whenever the doctors would let him near her. "Then, the General showed up and had her transferred."

"Which led to the multitude of voicemails. So why didn't you use at least one of those to clarify things?"

"I didn't think I had to! I thought it was pretty clear what my feelings were."

"Did you ever actually _voice _those feelings?"

The silence that greeted Lana's question, accompanied by eyes seeking out any point in the room other than her, was all the answer she needed.

"Look, Clark, I don't claim to know Lois as well as you do, but you have to think about how things looked from her perspective."

Letting his mind wander back to that night, Clark exhaled loudly as he roughly wiped his hand over his face.

"We were dancing."

"I'll say," Lana muttered, though Clark was so lost in his own thoughts he missed her comment completely.

"And then I saw you. Lois said I should talk to you," he continued, running through a brief summary of the events.

"We went up to the loft to talk."

"Then, all hell broke loose."

"Right," she interjected, the tone in her voice willing him to make the connection.

Closing his eyes briefly, Clark finally understood the point Lana was driving at. "Lois was unconscious when I found her. Which means, the last thing she remembers is me going off to talk to you."

"Exactly. She seems to have jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"And assuming she wouldn't was a big mistake on my part. It's Lois. It's what she does," he finished, and Lana couldn't help but pick up on the note of affection in his voice at his last statement. While a part of her felt a lingering twinge of jealousy at Clark's admiration for one of Lois' many quirks, the other part was genuinely happy he'd finally caught on.

Clark walked over to Lois' desk, his fingers running over her nameplate.

"You're right, I am an idiot."

Lana just laughed softly. "I'm sure it's fixable, Clark. Just talk to her."

"You think it'll be that easy? Lana, that woman has walls higher than Mount Everest on a normal day. But if she's under the impression that you and I are back together?" Clark let the question hang in the air, shaking his head slightly.

"I never said it would be easy."

Taking in her words, his eyes drifted to the one framed photograph on Lois' desk. It was a picture of her, Clark, and Chloe at the surprise birthday party he and Chloe had thrown for her last year. When Jimmy had corralled them together for a picture, in the confusion of the wrapping paper strewn all over the floor and the multitude of streamers hanging from the ceiling, Lois had somehow tripped and ended up in Clark's lap on the sofa. Sitting back against him, she had sputtered into laughter at her lack of grace as Clark's arm had instinctively circled her waist, holding her to him. Chloe jumped onto the sofa next to them, throwing her arm around her cousin's shoulders, and Jimmy had caught the perfect moment, with Chloe's wild laughter almost emanating from the picture as Clark and Lois smiled widely for the camera.

It had been over a month since he'd seen that smile, it occurred to him as he stared at the picture.

And he wanted nothing more than to see it again.

With resolve, he turned back to Lana, a grin adorning his handsome face.

"I guess it's a good thing I can jump pretty high, huh?"

In that moment, Lana noticed the look of determination that took over his face. He suddenly seemed taller than usual as he took a step toward her.

"Would you mind if Chloe took you to the airport tonight?"

A small smile graced Lana's face in response, a touch of admiration lighting up her eyes as she took in the man in front of her. A man that would always hold a special place in her heart, and because of that, she wanted him to find the happiness he deserved.

"Not at all."

* * *

**Hours later…**

Her steps instinctively slowed as she saw the Daily Planet building up ahead.

This just _had_ to get easier. It bugged her to no end that she now dreaded going to the place that she had come to love being at so much.

Glancing at her watch, she noted the time. 8:30 PM. Odds were he was probably gone. Probably having dinner with Lana somewhere, making schmoopy, googly eyes at her and gushing about how wonderful it was that she was back in his life.

Or worse, another public display of affection she'd have to hear about from one of her many friends / sources in Metropolis. When she'd begun to get her feet wet at the Daily Planet, she'd made it her business to become friendly with bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and bouncers at some of the best and most frequented clubs and restaurants in the city. There were no better eyes and ears for her to have, and it was a method that had served her well. The tidbits she was able to glean from them had helped her write several stories, but more importantly, she was building up a reputation as a trustworthy reporter with the people who would be the ones to buy the Planet and read her stories.

Of course, there were times, like the day she'd returned to Metropolis, where she was just fine being in the dark. Not that Benny, the bartender at the Ace of Clubs, knew that. No, he was just dishing the dirt with her, filling her in on some stuff that had gone on in her absence, when he'd innocently brought it up.

"_So, anything new on Gambetti?"_

"_Nope, it's been real quiet. Haven't seen him in about six weeks now. Sometimes he brings in some associates for a drink around the holidays though, so I'll let you know."_

"_You're the best, Benny."_

"_You know it," he'd smiled, a hint of cockiness there that had caused her to roll her eyes. "Any chance you'd like to see how great I am, you know, a little later on tonight?"_

_She'd looked at him, shocked, for a moment, before bursting out laughing._

"_Unbelievable, I nearly died a month ago, I just get back to Metropolis not 24 hours ago, and you decide this is a good time to hit on me?"_

"_Hey, I would have done it before, but I thought you were taken. Now that I know that's not the case…"_

"_What are you talking about? Why would you think that?"_

"_That guy you come in here with, what's his name? Clark?"_

_Lois looked at him, still utterly confused._

"_You thought he and I…"_

"_Well, you're always in here with him. Not to mention he seems to stare down any guy who looks like he's about to approach you. But, clearly I was wrong, since he was in here macking on some little brunette a few weeks ago."_

She'd tried to cover, shrugging nonchalantly as Benny had told her about how the 'little brunette' had kissed Clark. He'd continued, oblivious to the pain he was causing, telling her that he'd gotten some customers at the bar at that point, and when he'd looked back to where they'd been, they were gone. He'd chuckled, commenting that the 'lovebirds' had probably taken it somewhere more private, and Lois had wanted to slug him, even though it wasn't Benny's fault, because just the thought made her sick to her stomach.

But she'd just laughed along with him, her eyes focusing on the brass railing around the bar and willing herself not to let it get to her, because she was strong and she could handle it. It wasn't like it should have surprised her anyway. It was Clark and Lana, for crying out loud, it was only a matter of time.

Still, just a couple of days after learning of it, the ache hadn't exactly lessened. Oh sure, she'd put on a show before of congratulating them. Trying to do the right thing, and pretend it wasn't breaking her heart into a million pieces.

Because damn it, he would _never_ know how much losing the possibility of him, of them, had hurt her.

She wouldn't say she had a plan, exactly. Basically, her strategy was to avoid Clark Kent at all costs. Which, wasn't going to be the easiest thing in the world, given that his desk was right across from hers.

But Lois Lane was nothing if not determined, and she was sure if she could just keep some distance between them for a while, she would be able to get over it. Get over _him_.

She swung the door to the Daily Planet open, her eyes drifting from the elevator to the stairs. Yeah, the stairs would take much longer.

Heading for the down staircase, her bag growing heavy on her still tender shoulder, she allowed herself to drift back to that night.

It was easy, all day, submerging herself in her work. It gave her little time to think about all that had happened, to think about what she felt.

But the work was essentially done for the day, though she'd find something to keep her busy once she got back to her desk, a desk he hopefully wasn't sitting across from. It was always this time that was the hardest. Getting to and from places, where her mind had time to ease up on the work and dwell on what had happened.

Or worse, what might have been.

Her legs began to ache as she continued down the stairs to the basement. She was pretty much fully recovered, but the aches still lingered, and being Lois she wasn't exactly taking it easy. Just the opposite, she was working herself harder, in part to make up for her absence.

In part to try and forget the feeling of his arms around her.

Sighing, she realized she had lost the battle again, her mind betraying her by allowing thoughts of the wedding and all that had happened to seep into her consciousness.

The thing was, she wasn't upset that he'd taken her up on her suggestion to talk to Lana. She'd meant that, they'd _needed_ to talk. And Lois wasn't a game player, so it wasn't one of those things where she suggested it but it was actually a test to see what he'd do. She'd meant it, completely.

No, what had hurt her was what had happened immediately before that.

It was the look on his face when he'd seen Lana. It had been brief, a mere flash, but it had been enough to make her feel like her heart was being forcibly ripped from her chest.

It was etched in her brain, that look. She'd tried valiantly to forget it since she'd regained consciousness weeks ago.

But no such luck.

She paused briefly, closing her eyes and trying to shake that image out of her head.

"Pull it together, Lois," she whispered to herself, before biting her lip and continuing her trek downward.

Finally, she pulled the door to the basement opened, heading down that one last flight of stairs. Rubbing her forehead, she sighed, entering the bullpen and then suddenly stopping short at the sight in front of her.

_Damn._

What the hell was he still doing here? Didn't he have a petite pink princess to fawn over?

As if on cue, Clark looked up from his screen, spotting her standing frozen in the archway.

"It's about time. Where've you been?"

"I didn't realize I had to keep you apprised of my comings and goings," she said, finally moving, opting for the snarky approach as she unloaded her bag onto her chair. "Frankly, I'm surprised you're still here. No hot date, tonight?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, he leaned forward in his chair. "I was hoping we could talk."

Her lips pressed together in a line as her mind worked frantically to come up with an excuse as to why she couldn't talk to him right now, but not to worry, she'd definitely catch up with him soon. Her eyes flicked over her desk, cursing herself for not making sure she had an out prepared for just such an occasion, when they fell upon a file of old articles she had dug out from the archives yesterday.

"Oh, I can't right now, I gotta get these back into the archives. Soon, though, okay?" she said hurriedly, snatching up the articles and heading for the door.

Watching her go, Clark could feel the frustration jolt through his body. Standing up, he resisted the urge to superspeed after her. After all, the conversation they were about to have was big enough already. He wasn't sure that tacking on 'Oh by the way, I'm an alien from the planet Krypton' would be his best move.

Purposefully, he strode out of the bullpen, heading toward the archive room. With every step, he felt the confidence in his rise, surprisingly, given that he knew better than anyone the challenge he was about to face.

But she was worth it. He wasn't going to let her run from this anymore. Too many people had let her run in her life – having been steamrolled by her attitude and beaten into submission by her knack for avoidance. There was no way Clark Kent was going to become one of them.

Reaching the archive room, he stopped in the doorway, watching as, with her back to him, she diligently flipped through the file folders, returning the articles to their proper place.

Since her eyes were focused elsewhere, he took advantage of the fact she couldn't see him and stepped quietly into the room. Flicking his hand behind him, he shut the door, the _bang_ it created causing Lois to jump slightly before turning to face him.

"What the hell?"

He turned slightly, his fingers quickly pressing the small button in the middle of the doorknob. When he turned back, he could practically see the sparks flying out of her eyes as she began to step toward him.

"Clark Kent, did you just lock that door?"

"Yeah, I did," he shoots back, stopping Lois in her tracks at the hint of cockiness in his voice. "I wanna talk to you."

"And I told you, I'm busy," she responded icily, gesturing to the pile of papers sitting on the filing cabinet behind her.

"Now I'm telling you. No more running, Lois. Right here, right now, I'm gonna talk. And you're gonna listen."


	4. Chapter 4

"I didn't realize you had a death wish."

Clark smirked at that. "I don't."

Anger rising inside her at his confident attitude, she began to storm towards him, only to find herself crashing into over 6 feet of muscle that refused to budge.

"Let. me. out," she seethed.

"We have some things we need to talk about. With the way you've been avoiding me, I figured my only chance was making sure you were a captive audience."

Lois took a deep breath, her frustration mounting.

"I am _not_ avoiding you. Wow, you have some ego there, Clark," she snapped a little too harshly, irritated that he'd figured her out.

"Yes, you have been," he responded calmly, noticing the annoyed twitch of her lips as he did so. "And it ends, now. We need to talk about this, Lois," he finished, his voice softening slightly.

He noticed her eyes flash…something. Hurt? Sadness? But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, and the stubbornness was firmly back in place.

"You can talk all you want. I've got work to do," she huffed, turning on her heel sharply and heading back to the filing cabinet, her long hair swaying behind her.

He felt his pulse ramp up as he watched her try to ignore him and simply file articles away. She was the only woman he'd ever met that could make him want to strangle her, throw her up against a wall and kiss her, and cradle her in his arms and protect her from the evils of the world – which, of course, she would rail against, making it all the more important to him - in the span of mere moments.

"Lois…"

He shook his head as he heard her start to hum. Loudly.

"Lois!"

This, as he should have known, only caused her to hum that much more loudly. And tunelessly, if that was possible.

Feeling his own frustration start to creep up on him, Clark ran his hand roughly through his hair. He took a few steps closer to her, bringing himself to within an arm's reach of her.

"You're wrong about me and Lana!" he shouted.

Silence.

After a moment, he heard Lois clear her throat and saw her head shake ever so slightly.

"Well I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you're back together, Clark, don't worry. So if this whole 'captive audience' thing is really me having to put up with you brooding over her…"

"We're not getting back together," he stated simply, interrupting what he was sure was going to turn into one of her infamous rants on the perils of moping and his broody inclinations.

Lois bit her lip in response, her back still to him. She refused to let herself indulge in the relief that had washed over her at his comment, sure that there was more to it. Like Lana was being stubborn and not deigning to let him back in her life yet, so he had to be on begging duty for a few more days, even though _she_ was the one who'd dumped him.

Or something like that.

The thing was, she didn't hear that telltale self-pity in his voice. Or even a hint of sadness.

"In fact, Lana's on her way to Hawaii right now."

His comment is met with another bout of silence.

"What, no comment?"

She shrugged. "Don't know what you want me to say."

"How about, 'I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion and I'm sorry I've been basically refusing to talk to you because of it since I've been back'? Yeah, that sounds like a good start to me."

She slammed the file cabinet shut and finally turned to look at him. "You know, the world doesn't revolve around you, Clark. My world does _not_ revolve around you. I was out of commission for weeks, did you ever think that, oh I don't know, I've been busy trying to catch up?"

"I know that's what you've been telling me, but I don't buy it."

"Oh well, I'm sorry that my reasons for not having a heart-to-heart with you don't meet with your approval."

"You thought I was back together with Lana, and you know what? That was my fault because I should have cleared things up in at least one of the phone messages I left."

"That's cute, that you actually think I care about your love life," she snarked, hoping Clark doesn't pick up on the total false bravado in her voice.

"Lois…stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop acting like nothing happened," he said, his voice quiet yet determined.

Her eyes darted around the room at that, and Clark sensed she was trying to hatch some sort of escape plan, clearly wanting to avoid any further conversation on the subject.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered, walking purposefully over to another set of filing cabinets and quickly opening a drawer, beginning to absently flip through the files.

"Yes, you do."

"Clearly, I don't," she replied in her best attempt at nonchalance, still making a show of working on her filing.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he walked up behind her, leaving only a small amount of space between them.

"The wedding, Lois."

She felt him behind her, the heat from his body radiating from the short distance he was away from her.

"What about it?" she asked, continuing to evade what she knew he was driving at.

He reached out and gently grasped her arm, knowing that it probably wasn't the smartest thing he could do but feeling like it was the only way to reach her at the moment.

"Something changed between us that night, Lois."

Feeling her heartbeat speed up, annoyingly in her mind, at his touch, she attempted her best blank expression and turned to face him.

"I'm still lost, here, Clark," she said, trying to brush him off.

He shook his head at her, and Lois could clearly see his seemingly endless supply of patience wearing thin.

"No, you're not," he responded, his tone measured, calm. "I know you felt it too, Lois. There was …something there."

For a moment, he saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. But as quickly as it was there, she blinked it away, snatching her arm from his grasp and making her way around him, walking toward the other side of the room, keeping her back to him.

"Weddings do funny things to people, especially single people."

"It was more than that," Clark insisted.

"No, it wasn't," she shot back sharply, suddenly whirling to face him. "And even if it was, and, I'm _not_ admitting to anything here, but _if_ there was something between us that night, it obviously doesn't matter."

"Why not?" he snapped back, his voice rising along with his temper.

"Because I saw the look on your face, Clark!"

He swayed back slightly at that, almost like he had taken a hit, watching her as her own words hit her ears, the realization that she'd so passionately said them causing her to close her eyes momentarily and shake her head. When she opened them again, he could see the sadness he'd glimpsed before permeating her hazel orbs.

"You're still in love with her," she said quietly, her tone changed from her outburst moments before to an almost quiet anguish. One that twisted his heart so painfully that he wished she was yelling instead. Her anger he could take.

Her pain? That was something else entirely. And thinking back, in that moment, it occurred to him that, in the few vulnerable moments she'd allowed him to see her heartache in all the time they'd known each other, each and every time his instinctual reaction was to stop it. To stop her from hurting because her pain, out of everyone he'd ever known, it was too much for him to bear. Maybe because she was so tough on the outside, insisting nothing ever bothered her, but he knew differently. Maybe because despite the blows life had dealt her, she tried to pick herself up, to be self-sufficient and independent as her father had taught her, so when she suffered a bout of heartache, it was that much more _real_.

Maybe because, for so long he'd shied away from being a hero, but if he allowed himself to admit it, he wanted to be _hers_.

And now he was the cause of her pain.

The silence began to stretch between them as he continued to watch her closely. Her eyes focused on the floor, refusing to look at him, not wanting him to see her without her walls fully intact.

He'd lost that right, and that crushed him.

Only one thought raced through his mind.

_Fix it._

He took a few steps toward her, unsurprised to see her stand her ground. That's who she was, and it was one of the things he'd always admired about her.

Reaching out, he tenderly placed his fingers under her chin, gently lifting, forcing her to look at him.

As soon as their eyes met, he could see her bury the sadness that had emanated from them, an attempt to cover, to hide. In its place was a spark of the fiery determination he loved, causing the corner of his lips to lift slightly, a grin sneaking onto his face.

With his next breath, he uttered two words. Two simple words that he knew wouldn't be nearly enough, but it would be a start.

"You're wrong."


	5. Chapter 5

Lois jerked her head back, needing to get away from his touch.

"And you're clearly in denial," she snapped, taking a step backwards, only to come in contact with one of the metal filing cabinets in the room. "In that moment, Clark, your face didn't lie."

"So, that's the whole story to you? One moment in time, forgetting everything else that happened around it? The circumstances, what was going on at the time, that's all meaningless?"

She was silent at that, her eyes gravitating towards the floor as she seemed intent on studying the lines of the tile there.

Realizing he wasn't going to get a response out of her, he continued, his tone a bit gentler, almost plaintive as he plead his case.

"I was shocked. Confused. I never thought I'd see her again and there she was, standing there with this big smile, hugging Chloe as if it were the most expected thing in the world. So, yeah, those old feelings flared up for a second. But that's all it was, Lois."

She bit her lip, listening to him, willing herself to keep her defenses firmly in place. Knowing that if she looked up at him, looked into what she was sure, particularly given the soft voice he was using to try and explain things to her, was that puppy-dog look mixed with determination that was a lethal combination as far as she was concerned, that her resolve would crumble.

"You keep telling yourself that," she finally muttered, stepping to the side and making her way around him. She walked over to another cabinet, absently tugging open the drawer, desperately trying to keep herself occupied so she didn't have to deal with this conversation.

Which, would've worked fine, if the next words out of his mouth hadn't surprised her completely.

"So, I guess that means you're still in love with Oliver."

In a split second, she whirled around to face him.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"That's ridiculous, _you know_ I'm over Oliver."

"Really? Because I saw _the look on your face_, the night he was poisoned," he responded, his voice tinged with a confidence that didn't go unnoticed by Lois.

"Oh my…" she began in exasperation, then caught herself, and tried to regain control of her emotions by managing to continue calmly, "_that_ was completely different Clark."

"Why?"

"Because…because I thought he was dying! And after our break-up, I never thought I'd see him again and I was shocked! I was confused! I…," she stopped short when she noticed the smug grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

_Damn him._

Clenching her fists, the frustration coursing through her, she took a step toward him.

"It is so _not_ the same thing."

"Oh, so you're allowed to have a moment of confusion about a person you once loved suddenly showing up in your life, but I'm not?"

He noticed the sparks practically flying out of her eyes, and his grin widened, which he knew would probably tick her off more, but he couldn't help it. Her passion, it was one of the things that had always drawn him to her.

Seeing him obviously enjoying getting her riled up, she willed herself to calm down. She would _not_ let him win this one. Her fists unclenched, and she took a deep breath. Crossing her arms in front of her, she tilted her head slightly, ready to wipe that cocky smile off his face.

"I'd hardly call the situations similar Clark."

"They seem pretty similar to me."

"I guess, on the surface, they might appear so, except for one little thing."

"Which is?"

"I wasn't wrapped around someone else in the midst of a slow dance when Ollie suddenly appeared back in my life."

And as she was usually able to, in fact, more times than Clark would like to admit, Lois had completely stunned him.

On the one hand, he was surprised because he was sure she'd continue to avoid that subject like she had been since she'd returned to Metropolis.

On the other hand? Leave it to Lois to slam her cards down on the table at the moment he least expected it, and in the process, catch him completely off guard.

He realized, in that moment, he had to gather all the confidence he had walked in with, and answer her straightness with his own. If she wanted to get into it, then that's exactly what they'd do. Looking directly into her eyes, he readied himself to answer the challenge he saw there.

"I was exactly where I wanted to be that night, Lois."

"Oh yeah, I could tell by the fact that the minute you saw her, you couldn't let go of me fast enough."

"You want me to say I screwed up? Fine, I screwed up."

"What I want is for you to tell me the truth!"

"The truth as _you_ see it, right? Because _that_ is the only _truth_ you're willing to consider," he shot back.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I've known you long enough to know how stubborn you are once you have your mind set on something. And you're counting on the fact that I'll just give up trying to convince you otherwise, like everyone else in your life who's given up when you've stonewalled them. But you can forget it, Lois. Because I'm not gonna be like everyone else. I'm not giving up. So you can believe whatever you want, but you're gonna hear me out. As many times as it takes, starting right now."

He could swear he saw a flash of admiration in her eyes, but it was so quickly covered by a mask of indifference that he couldn't be sure. The same look he'd seen on her face so many times before, the same look that told him he had his work cut out for him.

And, surprisingly, he never felt more _normal _than he did in that moment. That's what she did for him – even if she didn't know it. Because all of his superpowers couldn't help him with one stubborn and determined Lois Lane. No, at this moment, he was simply a man trying to convince this woman that somewhere along the way, his heart had become hers. He felt a sudden burst of resoluteness at that thought, despite the seemingly impossible task he faced.

If he could get through to her? He might even start believing he could fly.

"I didn't even realize it until that night, the night of the wedding, but something had been building between us for months. Looking back, I see that now, but I don't think it really fell into place for me until I saw you talking to some friend of Jimmy's at the reception and I realized I wanted to throw the guy clear to Metropolis."

Only someone well versed in Lois Lane's mannerisms would pick up the almost imperceptible eyebrow arch at his words. Luckily, he had studied her closely in the four years they'd known each other, so he knew that despite the look of passivity on her face, she was hearing him loud and clear.

"I know, after everything that happened that night, that it's hard for you to believe, but…the feelings I have for you Lois, they're real."

This time, he received the tiniest of smirks in response. And he had a sinking feeling that her passive listening was just about over.

"Really?"

"Yes," he responds sincerely, despite her disbelieving tone. "When you were recovering, I thought about you all the time. I probably used up all the space on your phone with the voicemails I left, and I'm sure your father hates me after calling him constantly for updates."

Her smirk widened a bit. "You thought about me all the time, huh?"

His eyebrows furrow slightly at her expression, her tone. Why did he have the feeling a bomb was about to be dropped on him?

"So, you were thinking of _me_ when you were making out with Lana at the Ace of Clubs?"

Oh. That was why.


	6. Chapter 6

"_So, you were thinking of me when you were making out with Lana at the Ace of Clubs?"_

The smirk on her face was all he needed to know that his jaw was probably on the floor at that.

Because, frankly, it was the last thing he expected to hear from her.

Clearing his throat, he reached up to loosen his tie a bit before mumbling, "I would hardly call it making out."

"Really? That's not what I heard."

Tilting his head slightly, he took in the slightly smug expression on her face that was masking a hint of pain in her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Who did you hear it from?"

"I never reveal my sources."

His eyes narrowed, taking in her defiant stance in front of him. After a moment, realization set in.

"Benny."

Her silence was all the answer he needed. That, and the way her eyes suddenly darted toward the floor.

"Obviously, Benny isn't a very reliable source because he seems to have left out part of the story if that's the impression you were left with."

She shifted her weight slightly, noticing the slight note of confidence back in his voice. Eager to get the balance power back in her favor, she simply waved her hand at him, attempting to dismiss whatever explanation he was about to give her.

"You know what? I don't care who you kiss Clark. In fact, I really had no intention of ever bringing it up because honestly, it's your business," she said, attempting nonchalance. "I just wish you wouldn't insult my intelligence by claiming to have been thinking about me _all the time_ while I was gone when it's pretty clear your thoughts, and lips, were otherwise occupied."

With that, she spun around, ready to go back into avoidance mode, hoping Clark would take the hint and back off.

Of course, Clark recognized that particularly tactic, what with the years of experience he had in the ways of one Lois Lane.

"So, Benny told you he saw Lana and me kissing. What else did he tell you?"

His question was greeted by silence, which he'd expected. Not that it would deter him. He watched as she flipped through a drawer of files, clearly not reading any of them or even looking for anything in particular, other than a way to keep her hands and mind busy so she wouldn't have to deal with him.

"Because, if I remember right, the bar was pretty busy that night. So, I would imagine he might have been sketchy on some of the details."

At those words, he noted the slight hesitation in the rhythm of the flipping folders. But it was quickly covered by the sound of her clearing her throat and a slight shake of her head.

"Like I said, it's your business Clark," she tossed back over her shoulder.

"And you're not the slightest bit interested in what really happened? What happened to the investigative reporter who would stop at nothing to uncover the truth?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she stated simply, "That kind of digging is reserved for things I actually care about. You and Lana in a liplock doesn't quite rank up there on that list."

That stung, for a second, nearly knocking the breath right out of him. But it was eased by the knowledge that that particular blow was delivered with a stubborn refusal to actually look at him while she said it. He _knew_ it bothered her. And, what's more, he knew she was probably dying for an explanation. She'd just have to be dragged kicking and screaming into actually admitting that.

"Really?" he asked, his tone making it clear he didn't believe her.

She nodded, continuing to mindlessly thumb through the folders.

"Well, whether or not you care, I'm gonna explain anyway."

"Knock yourself out."

He watched her for a moment, weighing his options. He could just start talking, knowing she'd at least hear him as she pretended to ignore him.

But he wanted more. He wanted to see every flicker of expression on her face as he explained the situation to her. To know that she not only heard him, but was really _listening_ and, more importantly, understanding exactly what was being said.

So he walked over to her, knowing, that even with his superpowers, he was about to take his life into his own hands. Reaching out, he gently grasped her arm and spun her around to face him, the surprise evident on her face at his bold actions.

She quickly covered though, glancing in annoyance down at the hand still holding her arm. Her eyes moved back to his, seeing the challenge there. He tilted his head, watching as she tightened her lips into a line, her eyes narrowing. He raised his eyebrows, almost daring her to call him on his actions, but she only smirked in response, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

It was odd timing, considering, but he felt a slight sense of relief that their ability to have wordless conversations still seemed to be intact.

"Lana and I were having dinner there."

He received a single eyebrow arch at that, and realized what it sounded like. Yeah, he was going to have to measure his words much more carefully.

"It wasn't a date," he quickly said. "We were just, you know, catching up."

Her eyebrow settled back into place, and he exhaled a little in response.

"We were sitting in one of those booths, you know the round ones? Across from each other, but then, suddenly, she was next to me."

Clark could see the struggle Lois was having, trying to remain impassive as he spoke. But to her credit, she looked him straight in the eye as he recounted the events of that night. Not that he was terribly surprised. He had issued the challenge, and she never backed down from a challenge.

He took a deep breath, ready to launch into the part of the story he knew would be the most difficult.

"She told me she'd missed me, and that she regretted leaving. That she wanted us to try again," he began, a bit quietly. "It was funny, hearing her say that, I realized something."

He paused, waiting for a verbal response, but all he got was a slight, questioning head tilt.

"I'd always thought that, if Lana ever came back, if I ever heard her say that, I would feel…happy. Relieved. But I didn't feel either of those things," he said.

"What did you feel?" she asked, her voice a bit tentative, much to her own chagrin.

A soft smile graced his lips at her question.

"Nothing," he answered, watching as her eyes widened in response. "That was it. That was the moment I realized what I think I'd known for months. I'd moved on. I was over Lana, I _am_ over her. And maybe it took her coming back for me to fully admit it."

He paused, noticing that somewhere in the midst of this conversation his hand had slipped down her arm and he'd lightly intertwined his fingers with hers. He wasn't sure if she'd noticed, but whether she did or not, he took it as a good sign that she hadn't snatched her hand away.

"I was just about to tell her that, to explain things, when she kissed me. I didn't see it coming and she sort of caught me off guard, which must have been what Benny saw. But Lois," he said, his voice becoming a bit plaintive, "I swear I pulled away the minute I realized what was happening."

Her eyes finally left his face, gazing down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at him.

"Benny said that he saw you two kissing, and then he got distracted by some customers. When he looked back, you were gone."

Clark nodded. "And you assumed the worst?"

Her lips lifted slightly into a grin. "Would I be me if I hadn't?"

He took a chance at that, slightly tightening his fingers around hers. When he felt her respond in kind, he continued.

"I took her back to Nell's, and we talked. I told her that she had been right in what she'd said on that DVD. That we didn't belong together. And that we'd probably both known that for a long time, but somewhere along the way we'd become sort of a safety net for each other. Familiar, I guess, or, a mutual fear of being alone. I told her that I'd always care about her, but I wasn't in love with her anymore."

Lois nodded, almost imperceptibly, before asking, "How'd she take that?"

"Actually, she agreed with me. But, that wasn't all I told her."

He could see the Lane curiosity flare up in her eyes at that, and grinned as he watched her try to appear and sound nonchalant.

"Really? What else did you say?"

With his free hand, he gently tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear, then letting his hand trail down her jaw, his fingers landed gently under her chin.

"I told her I had feelings for you."

A soft gasp escaped her lips at that, and Clark could swear he even saw a glimpse of shininess in her eyes.

"And if you're wondering how she took that, she wasn't at all surprised."

"What do you mean?"

He just shook his head, laughing softly. "Let's just say I think Lana had us pegged from the beginning."

For a moment, she just gazed at him, and Clark was pretty sure he'd never had anyone look at him like that, and he was positive that he'd never felt his heart beat that fast from just one look.

But the moment was quickly broken as Lois blinked rapidly for a second, his words seemingly sinking in as she finally pulled her hand away from his.

"Us?" she asked, before sidestepping around him.

He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath as he realized the wall he'd thought he'd successfully dismantled was being thrown back up alarmingly quickly. Clark rubbed his hand over his face, getting his bearings before turning to her, seeing her standing with her arms crossed in front of her, as if to keep him safely at a distance.

"Come on, Lois," he said, his voice soft. "I told you how I feel, I've explained everything that happened while you were gone. Just…stop running. Please. Admit it. Admit that you feel the same way about me as I do about you."

Her arms seemed to tighten around herself at that, almost as if she was bracing herself against whatever argument he was about to put forth.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I am. If I could go back to the night of the wedding and change the way I handled things? I would. But, I'll be honest, I'm not sorry Lana showed up that night."

The flash of hurt that swept over her features at that threatened to take his breath away. He put his hand up quickly, almost as if trying to stop her pain, telling her to hold on so he could explain.

"Look, when you broke up with Oliver, you got the chance to say goodbye to him, on your terms. I never got that chance with Lana. I got a DVD left a hospital for me. And while I did start to move on after she left, the truth is, I needed to end things on my terms. I needed to say goodbye to my past, so that I could finally look toward my future. Lana coming back, it gave me the chance to do that."

He could see her shaking slightly, as she struggled to hold back tears that were obviously threatening. He stepped toward her, one tear finally falling onto her cheek, a tear he reached out and tenderly wiped away.

"And in case I was being too vague, the future I'm talking about is you," he said with an adorable grin that would melt the most stubborn of hearts.

Even Lois Lane's, as it turned out.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She straightened her shoulders, looking directly into his heartbreakingly beautiful eyes.

"I admit it," she said quietly.

"Admit what?" he responded, knowing full well what she meant but not being able to resist the opportunity to get her to say the words.

She gave him an incredulous look. "You're really gonna make me say this. aren't you?"

"After all this? You bet I am."

Rolling her eyes, an exasperated sigh left her lips.

"Fine," she said, pausing before continuing, her hand reaching up to gently lay on his chest. When she spoke again, her voice had softened and the look on her face was filled with affection, with the slightest hint of fear. "I have feelings for you, too."

He covered her hand with his, and then brought it to his lips, placing the softest of kisses against her fingers, sending a shiver throughout her body.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Clark moved their now joined hands back to his chest, his thumb rubbing softly against the back of her hand.

"So, what now?" Lois finally asked, a note of shakiness in her voice, the enormity of the step they were about to take not lost on her.

Clark shrugged slightly. "Dinner? Tomorrow night?"

That brought a smirk to Lois' face. "Clark Kent, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Well, someone once told me that's what a guy does when he likes a girl."

"Hmmm, she must have been pretty smart."

"Smartest woman I've ever met."

Now with a full-blown smile, Lois laughed. "Good answer, Smallville," she said, gently pulling her hand from his grasp and beginning to head toward the door.

Until that very second, he hadn't realized that that was the first time she'd used her nickname for him since she'd returned to Metropolis. In the last few minutes, she'd snarked at him, rolled her eyes at him, and called him Smallville.

Yeah, everything was okay.

Seeing her hand on the doorknob, he realized that he'd forgotten to get one important piece of information from her.

"Wait, is that a yes?"

Turning back to him, she considered him for a moment. The smile on her face disappeared as a seriousness washed over her.

"You know, this isn't gonna be easy for you, Clark. And, you need to know that it's not because I'm mad at you or because I'm holding a grudge or anything like that. It's just…it's who I am," she said quietly.

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "I know who you are, Lois. And I'm still here."

She nodded. "Yeah, you are. I just…I'm not really good at relationships. Just ask all the guys who've run screaming from me."

"I haven't exactly been successful in the relationship department either."

A wry chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm not sure what that says about our chances."

"Maybe it doesn't say anything. Because all of those relationships, they're in the past. They don't have to have any bearing on our future, Lois. I'm not those guys you've dated, and you're not…"

"Lana?" she interrupted, unable to stop the grin from appearing on her face.

"Hey, I dated other girls," he said in mock defensiveness, returning her teasing smile. After a moment, his eyes softened. "The point is, maybe we had to go through all the wrong relationships so we could recognize the right one. Granted, I can't see into the future, but Lois, I think that's you and me."

As he finished, he noticed the look of wonder on her face. Slightly puzzled, he looked at her questioningly.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said softly, "It's just…you're definitely Martha Kent's son."

"Huh?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "I'll explain someday. I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Lane."

"I'm sure you will, Kent."

She turned to leave, when Clark realized once again he hadn't gotten a definitive answer. Jogging forward a few steps, he placed his hand on her arm.

"You still haven't given me an answer. Are you always this difficult to ask out on dates?" he teased.

"Yeah, so you better be prepared, Smallville."

"Is that a yes?"

She reached up to brush some wayward hair off his forehead.

"Pick me up at 7:30."

With that, she opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind her.

With a triumphant smile, Clark turned and leaned back against the door, unaware that Lois was doing the same on the other side.

It had been just about four full days since she'd returned to Metropolis.

Four days they'd both like to forget. Four days of avoidance, pain, misunderstandings, and longing.

But none of that mattered anymore. It was the past.

Tomorrow was her fifth day back.

And the first day of their future. Together.


End file.
